Thursday, January 28, 2016

Monday, January 25, 2016

Today we went by car to Llangollen for a walk alongside the canal towards the Lift Bridge. This photograph is one taken on a sunnier day, today it was windy and quite dull. We got as far as the bench before the Lift Bridge and had five before turning round and walking back into town as that was as far as we could get Ben to walk. The wind was in our faces walking back so that it felt a little colder. We passed the boats moored on the winter moorings saying a quick hello to Nick and Liz on NB Henry. Their dog Connie came out to see Ben the dog.

In Llangollen we stopped at the little deli near the carpark and bought some filled floury baps which we ate by the River Dee. Watching the water rushing by with white water, it felt like being at the seaside.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

We knew we were iced in in Whixall Marina when we heard the unmistakeable noise as the boat moved when I got up to use the toilet in the early hours of Saturday. Ben was a bit freaked by the noise and came to sleep down the bedroom end of the boat. In the morning we decided to go and visit our family in Newport and leave the boat keeping warm with an electric radiator. A phone call to my daughter Clare to check it was OK to visit and we packed a bag and off we went.

We felt like a change of scenery as we were fed up with all the rain and mud associated with living in the country. As we went southwards the temperature got a little higher which was a good thing. Considering it was a Saturday morning the traffic wasn't bad and we made good time. We had a few stops, one in Craven Arms where there's a green area for Ben and a toilet for us. Clare and Ben's dog Poppy was delighted to see us and gave Ben the dog lots of licks.

While we were in Newport we took the dog to Tredegar Park where there is a pathway making dog walking mud free which made a pleasant change. We stayed a few days giving us time to see all three of our daughters and their families. Lisa our youngest daughter celebrated her birthday yesterday.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Yesterday we had a brief dry spell and went to Ellesmere, taking Ben for a walk by the Mere. It's a peaceful place with just a few dog walkers and their dogs. I also got a new battery for my watch at the little jewellers as it had decided to stop and we did some food shopping. The weather forecast doesn't look good so we needed to be prepared.

Today we decided to get some diesel from the pump even though we had no choice but to pay for 60/40 split from the self serve petrol pump. We needed a dry day that wasn't windy so didn't want to wait until we could get cheaper diesel. The tank is full now so we'll be OK for heating. Water tank filled, cassettes done and rubbish disposed of, so a quiet afternoon occurred.

Friday, January 08, 2016

No photos for an age because my phone camera's been misbehaving and the usb's on my laptop wouldn't play either. It's been slow then the mouse or touch pad won't react and it just froze up all the time. So I've got a new laptop with Windows 10 but it's very different so it's a learning curve. Luckily my Canon printer works with it so that saved some money.

We've been dog walking in various places and today it was a walk on the Mosses at Whixall. It wasn't as wet as I thought walking the peaty puddle filled tracks and Ben was a lot cleaner than on our towpath walks when he's been very muddy.

We've been out in the car to Penkridge to get some Elsan Blue and new elastic thingies for the cratch cover that ended up in the cut in the wind. On the way back we went to Stafford where we did a little shopping and had a McDonald's before heading back to Whixall.

Another day we did some shopping in Ellesmere before walking by the Mere with Ben the dog. The park in Whitchurch was good for a change as there was no mud to walk in. In Wrexham we went to look at the laptops after we'd done the food shopping and bought one. It's good having a working laptop again.

Monday, January 04, 2016

We've had a quiet week after Christmas in Wales. New Year 2016 was very noisy as fireworks announced the New Year and as usual this upset Ben the dog who hates bangs. Let's hope we have a better year financially as the cost of a new engine made a significant hole in our finances.

I can't say we're enjoying the muddy walks with Ben the dog and a nice crisp frost with frozen ground would be a change, although wet roads rather than icy ones is much safer. Our choice of route out of Whixall in the car is decided by which lane has the least water as there's lots of puddles which nearly meet in the middle of the lanes.

On the boat we're warm, dry and cosy so we shouldn't complain but I do look forward to some cruising when the weather gets warmer. Those continuous cruisers must be a hardy bunch as standing on the stern of the boat in the wet and the cold doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.......I must be getting old!

About Me

I retired from primary teaching in 2006 and am now living afloat with my husband Eric on our narrowboat called 'Bendigedig'. The name means wonderful. After many years afloat we are still enjoying life. For several years we wintered in Llangollen in north Wales and then spent seven months cruising mainly canals with occasional rivers. Then things changed as we felt we needed a home, somewhere to leave the boat when we needed to be in Newport. We now have a residential mooring at Whixall Marina which is lovely and quiet away from noisy roads and trains. We will use it as a base to cruise from when we get itchy feet in the Summer months. If we don't want to cruise it's great to have a home. We needed a car so we aren't totally cut off from the world, which also makes visiting our family so much easier. Ben the dog had a lovely life with us on the boat and he loved his long walks until his bout of meningitis caused by a parasite (neosporosis) slowed him down as it affected his sight and coordination. He enjoyed life with us on the boat but after a lovely life he is now in doggy heaven.